Converter.



RK BAGGALEY.

CONVERTER. APPLIOATIN FILED 00T.6, 1906. RENEWBD 00T. 22, y1910.

977,922. Patented 1390.611910.

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INV NTOR M@ WM www@ R. BAGGALEY.

CONVERTER.

APPLIUATION FILED oom, 190e. RENEWBD 001222, I1910.

Patented Deo. 6, 1910.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES R. BAGGALEY.

CONVERTER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.0, 1906. RBNBWED 0012.22, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

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RQBAGGALEY.

CONVERTER.

APPLICATION FILED 0016, 1906. RBNBWBD 001222. 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

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WITNESSES Rs co., wAsyrNa-ron, n, c.

R. BAGGALEY.

CONVERTER.

APPLICATION FILED OGTG, 1906. RENEWED OCT. 22, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application iled October 6, 1306, Serial 110,337,725. Renewed Getober22, 1910. Serial No. 588,534.

To all whomalt may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH BAGGALEY, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county,Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Converter, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal crosssection of my primary orore-dissolving converter, intended to do without carbonaceous fuel thework now accomplished in the ordinary blast furnace, with carbonaceousfuel. It also illustrates a portion of the forehearth, with its incloseddrop tube; Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a cross-section on the line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is alongitudinal cross-section of my secondary or iron-eliminatingconverter; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

The object of my invention may be brieiiy stated to be, to provideapparatus capable of withstanding the severe service and the intenselycorrosive action of low grade mattes permanently, ordinary wear and tearexcepted; which service I have found to be inseparably connected withthe process of extracting the mineral values from copper, gold andsilver ores by utilizing the natural fuels contained in the oresthemselves described in United States Patents :M

No. 746,241, dated December 8th, 1903;

No. 766,654, `August 2nd, 1904;

No. 789,133, May 9th, 1905;

No. 794,272, July 11th, 1905,

No. 789,648, May 9th, 1905;

No. 830,039, September 4th, 1906;

No. 796,174, August 1st, 1905;

No. 822,712, June 5th, 1906;

No. 806,045, November 28th, 1905; No. 806,046,

` No. 796,175, August 1st, 1905;

No. 806,047, November 28th, 1905; No. 830,040, September 4th, 1906,

from ores, conducted by me at Butte, Montana, I utilized specialapparatus invented by me for the purpose, as fully illustrated anddescribed in United States Patents No. 746,238, dated December 8th,1903, and NO. 830,040, dated September 4th, 1906, as illustrated in Fig.8. These tests developed certain defects in the apparatus referred toand the object of my present invention may be specifically stated toobviate and to correct all such defects and to provide what I considerto be practically perfect apparatus to withstand this severe service andto be permanent, ordinary wear and tear excepted. For instance, in theuse of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 of United States Patent No.746,238, wherein there is a heavy, basic lining, supplemented by anoutside waterjacket, the fact has been developed by test that if a basiclining be utilized say in the ordinary sheet steel converter that it isonly a question of a comparatively short time until such basic liningwill slough 0E and be entirely dissolved. These basic linings are veryexpensive. Unless some outside controlling influence therefore beexerted for the protection of such basic linings the cost of renewingsame becomes so great as to seriously militate against the economy of mynew smelting process. -Where, however, an outside cooling influence,capable of being regulated and tempered at will, is exercised it will beapparent an absolute limit is placed on the travel of this corrosiveaction on the internal lining of the vessel so that when the heat andthe corrosive action of the smelting process on the inside exactlyequals the cooling influence of the flow of water through the jackets onthe outside, all corrosion will cease and thereafter the basic lining ofthe vessel will remain practically permanent, as it now does in the caseof a lined waterjacleted forehearth. In conducting the tests abovereferred to I found however, that my trouble did not consist insufficiently cooling the outside surface of the basic lining, throughthe medium of flowing water, but it consisted in reducing this flowsufficiently to prevent it from eXertin too much of a cooling influence.This I ound to be particularly the case toward the later stages of thesmelting and rening process, or in other words, when the oxidizableelements and compounds had been largely eliminated from the bath throughthe action of the blast and at or about the time that blister copper wasforming. At this stage of the process, indeed from the time White metalhad resulted and until the clean blister copper had formed, I found thatit was better to shut off the flow of water through the outside jacketsentirely and to allow the water in them to heat up, even to thel steamgenerating point, because the vent from these waterjackets was open tothe atmosphere through a large pipe and as a consequence no pressurewhatever could generate. rlhe jackets also could not be injured becausethe water level. in this vent pipe was so high that it could not duringthis portion of the process lower the water through the generation ofsteam to a level where the jackets could burn. In the use of theapparatus illustrated in United States Patent No. 830,040, issued.September 4th, 1906, it was found that so long as these heavy metalwalls were protected by an interior basic lining the results generallyspeaking were entirely satisfactory. On one occasion, when blistercopper had formed and when the twyer punchers had failed to do theirwork properly so that a mass of congealed copper formed on the interiorwall of the lining at the twyer entrances, the subsequent punching andopening of these twyers had the effect of somewhat loosening the basiclining and of separating it from a close contact with the interior metalwall. As a consequence the blast in .large volume escaped between thelining and the outside metal walls and entered the converter at the topof the lining, on one side of the vessel. It so happened that at thesame time, while experimenting with a force of unexperienced workmenthat the vessel had been overcharged with matte so that the level of themolten bath was above the top of the interior basic lining. Thiscombination resulted in a converting action against the side wall of theheavy steel casting top or nose of the vessel. Nithin an hours time thisconverting action resulted in dissolving a solid steel casting sixteeninches thick so that the molten matte overflowed through this orificeonto the twyer-box. I also found that even with the interior basiclining at or near the blast entrance a steady destruction of theinterior lining at this one point occurred. The lining at all otherpoints of the Vessel lasted apparently without injury for a period ofeight months and was still good at that time, excepting only in theimmediate vicinity of the blast entrance; indicating that a greatercooling influence at this point of the vessel was necessary in order toprotect the lining from destruction. Briefly stated, the objections Ifound to this form of apparatus were as follows :-1st.-'I`he eX- penseof renewing the basic lining at the blast entrance, for the reasonsabove described. 2nd,'I`he great cost of the apparatus. 3rd-The greatweight of the apparatus. 4th,-The reduced interior area and as aconsequence matte and ore holding capacity of the vessel, due to thethick walls, which in this particular apparatus that I tested weretwenty-one inches thick. 5th,- The possible destruction of the solidmetal nose, as herein described, when the matte level by accident orotherwise happened to be above the level of the interior basic lining.

My tests also developed other important points. For instance,-a. Thenthe nose of the converter in either apparatus was tilted to the rear, inorder to deliver the fumes into the hood as shown in both illustrations,a shoulder was formed at the junction point of the solid metal nose,with the body of the converter. I found by test that corrosion at thispoint was somewhat greater than elsewhere and that for this reason itwas desirable to utilize apparatus that did not have this shoulder. Ifound it desirable to provide an ample space above the level of themolten bath as a means of preventing undue corrosion at all upperportions of the vessel. I found it desirable to extend the basic liningso high above the level of the molten bath as to render it impossiblefor the un converted molten matte to come into contact with bare metalwalls.

My present invention is designed to meet and to obviate all of thedifficulties above enumerated.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the apparatus consistsof a cradle, preferably composed of steel channel bars 2, firmly securedto the heads 3. lVithin this cradle a succession of ribs di are placedto constitute outside walls of the vessel, the ribs being preferablymade in two parts and bolted together at the bottom. I prefer to makethese ribs of soft, openhearth steel, because it cannot be split orcracked by the pressure or by the varying temperatures, and it is verystrong and tough and fully capable of withstanding without injury theheavy weight of the bath. These ribs I prefer to make twelve or fourteeninches wide and. from two and one-half to four inches in thickness, asmay be preferred.

In such heavy cast metal blocks as those shown in United States PatentNo. 830,01f0, issued September l-th, 1906, Fig. 8, pipes cannot be castsuccessfully where steel castings are used, because the great heat ofthis large body of molten metal dissolves or crushes the pipe. This isone reason why in my present construction I use a soft, malleable castmetal rib, that bears such a suitable relation to the water pipes thatare cast in it that such pipes will not be dissolved or crushed; becausethe volume of cast metal is not sufficient to render this possible.

Each rib, say fourteen inches in width, is provided preferably with fourthree-quarter inch pipes 5 each provided with a regulating cock 6, whichreceive the inflow of water at the bottom of the vessel, as illustratedin the drawings. The water gradually becoming heated has a tendency torise and finds an outlet through the side mains 7 on each side of thevessel, at or near the top of the basic lining. The water mains 8underneath the vessel are protected from harm, as shown in the drawings,by reason of their location. The top or outlet water mains arepreferablyT protected against injury and from possible splash of matteor slag, by plate metal shields or covers 9, as illustrated in Figs. 3and 5.

I have found in my tests that the solid metal nose 10 as illust-rated inFig. 3, works well and is a practically indestructible part of theapparatus. If preferred the top or nose may also be water-jacketed, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5. It is desirable that the basic lining 11 in theends of the vessel be safeguarded against corrosion,by water-jacketedexteriors or ends 12. This result may be accomplished either in themanner illus trated in Fig. 1 or as illustrated in Fig. 4. I prefer thelatter method, because in it I use a stiff plate 13 of soft steelcasting, in which are cast a number of circular waterpipes 14. At thebottom holes 15 are drilled and tapped into these for the water inlet;and the water outlet is provided at the top of the Vessel, asillustrated in Fig. 1.

Doubtless many modifications in this apparatus will suggest themselvesto those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention, since `What I claim is 1h 1. In a converter of thecharacter' described, an exterior shell composed of a succession ofcircumferentially extending ribs of relatively soft, tough cast metal,each of said ribshaving one or more water pipes cast in them, means forsupplying water to said pipes, and for separately controlling the supplyto different pipes to temper and regulate the cooling action thereof atany desired place, and a basic lining within said shell and contactingtherewith; substantially as described.

2. In a converter, an exterior shell composed of a succession ofcircumferentially extending ribs of relatively soft, tough cast metalhaving each one or more water pipes cast therein, means for admittingwater to said pipes and for controlling the same to give a greatercooling action at some times than at others, said pipes being allsubstantially equi-distant from the outer surface of the shell, and abasic lining for said `shell in contact with its inner wall;substantially as described.

3. In a converter, an exterior shell composed of a succession of curvedribs of cast metal, said ribs having each a plurality of water spaces orpassages therein, means for supplying` water thereto, a basic liningwithin said shell, and-a solid metal unlined nose together with meanswhereby lthe supply o-f water to the said spaces or passages can becontrolled to reduce the cooling action; substantially as described.

4. In a copper converter, an exterior shell composed of a succession ofcurved ribs of cast metal having each a plurality of water circulatingpipes cast therein, said pipes being all substantially in the samecircular plane, a solid metal nose, and means for applying a cooling`medium to the nose; substantially as described.

5. In a converter for use in dissolving ores in al low grade, corrosivematte, an inner basic lining, and an outer metal shell composed of aseries of circumferentially extending ribs of relatively soft, toughmetal in contact with the outer surface of the lining, and havingseparate water circulating passages thereto, together with means wherebythe water circulation therein can be controlled to temper and regulatethe cooling actie-n of the water on the lining in accordance with therequirements during the different stages of the smelting and refiningprocess; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

RALPH BAGGALEY. lVitnesses:

Jol-IN MILLER, H. M. ConwIN.

